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Atlanta Hawks Need to Shift into Playoff Gear Quickly

By Mitchell McEver

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After the first two games in this playoff series, the Atlanta Hawks had not displayed the sheer dominance that characterized them in the regular season. Despite sweeping the Nets 4-0 in the regular season, the Hawks allowed the streaky Brooklyn team to give them two tight contests.

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Every team puts up a fight in the playoffs regardless of their regular season efforts, so it isn’t surprising to see the Nets doing their best to keep their season alive. Meanwhile, the Hawks were looking a little lazy at times, struggling to perform like the top-seeded, record breaking team that the city of Atlanta has grown so fond of.

Injuries to both Al Horford and Paul Millsap certainly affected the Hawks’ fluidity on both ends of the court. With Millsap still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in the Hawks’ last regular season match against the Nets, his strong inside presence was minimized. When Horford’s midrange shot stops falling, Millsap’s ability to turn hard work into baskets is sorely missed.

Most people expected the Hawks to pick their level of play up significantly headed into Brooklyn for their third game of the series. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

Through the first half of play, the Hawks were down seven points. The point disparity between the two teams does not accurately convey the bad play of the Hawks. Atlanta was 6-21 on their shots in the first half, getting buried in a 15 point deficit early. They eventually dug their way out of it in the third quarter, but were quickly buried for the final time shortly before the fourth quarter started.

Atlanta’s poor shooting was a major factor in the defeat. The team shot 35.6 percent from the field and 20 percent from three point range. An alarming amount of misses came from in the paint or under the basket.

One thing that has to be pointed out is the rather poor play from Atlanta’s point guards, specifically Jeff Teague. Although Teague has been getting his points, the offense has frequently stagnated and the team has fallen out of rhythm. Teague is vital to the Hawks ball movement offense and the team needs him to keep the ball moving when the opposition starts to slow them down.

Teague has shot 16-41 over the course of the series, a poor shooting clip for the All-Star point guard. There have been multiple instances where Teague has made his way to the bench holding his wrist as if it were hurt, so there could be a lingering injury limiting his play. It is very important that Teague gets back in the driver’s seat of the Hawks offense, as this team is at its best when Teague is playing confidently.

So how can the Hawks rid themselves of the Jekyll and Hyde play they have showcased the nation over the past three games?

Hopefully, the Hawks poor shooting that plagued them in this series will be improved upon going forward. Credit has to be given to the Nets defense as they have played tough defense on the Hawks each game. The major problem has been the Hawks missing wide open looks that they make all the time. Hawks fans can take solace in the fact that this Atlanta team rarely gets stuck in long term slumps, however.

The Hawks have got to get back to what makes them an excellent basketball team. Atlanta has gotten sucked into Brooklyn’s isolation-heavy offense too many times this season, and they do not excel in that style. If the Hawks can settle down and return to the basketball play that netted them the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, this series could still be over in five games.

Moving forward in the playoffs, the Hawks will need statement wins over the next two games in the series in order to maintain momentum and confidence. To win in five games would still give the players a fair amount of rest before the second round, which would be very helpful to Horford, Millsap and Teague, who have all struggled with minor injuries this series.

Look for the Hawks to take this loss to Brooklyn personally and come out strong next game. Brooklyn will certainly be fighting their hardest, but the Hawks are the superior team and should be able to pull out the win if their shooting doesn’t falter. If the Hawks can’t pull out a win next game, the best team in the East could be in too much danger for their liking.

Next: Count on Jeff Teague to Lead Hawks to NBA Finals

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